Alert – Inside Brad Pitt and George Clooney’s Hollywood bromance: From bitterness over iconic role to ‘fallout’ amid marriage to Angelina Jolie – as long-running pals reunite for new movie

Brad Pitt and George Clooney have reunited for new film Wolfs, 24-years after their first onscreen appearance in 2001’s smash hit Ocean’s Eleven. 

Brad, 60, and George, 63, have had a long-running Hollywood bromance with both having gone from TV actors to Oscar winning A-listers. 

However after they have also battled for one iconic role, which instantly made one a household name, with the other remained unknown for years.

Their friendship also reportedly ‘cooled’ after Brad and his then wife Angelina Jolie skipped George’s 2014 wedding to Amal Alamuddinm amid claims Jolie felt ‘snubbed’ by the bride. 

Here takes a look inside the duo’s friendship….. 

Brad Pitt 60 (L) and George Clooney 63 (R) have had a long-running Hollywood bromance with both having gone from TV actors to Oscar winning A-listers  (pictured 2007)

From bitterness over one iconic role to rumours of their relationship ‘cooled’ after Brad and his then wife Angelina Jolie skipped George’s 2014 wedding 

Here takes a look inside the duo’s friendship

Wresting for a role  

The BFFs are believed to have met in 1991, when they both auditioned for the role of JD in Thelma & Louise. 

Clooney has revealed he couldn’t bring himself to watch 1991’s iconic drama after missing out on the role cowboy J.D to Pitt.

Speaking to GQ he said that while Brad’s career took off, after appearing in the flick alongside Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, he was stuck ‘still doing back TV’.   

Telling the publication: ‘I wouldn’t watch Thelma & Louise for a couple of years.’

It would take another three years before Clooney landed his big break as Dr Doug Ross in medical drama ER.

Meanwhile Pitt has said he was ‘really grateful’ to director Ridley Scott and actress Geena Davis for ‘[giving him] a shot’ and choosing him for the role.

He told The Sun: ‘I had nothing to show for myself, except for my work as an extra, and they took a chance on me,’ 

Clooney has revealed he couldn’t bring himself to watch 1991’s iconic drama Thelma & Louise, after missing out on the role cowboy J.D to Pitt (pictured)  

He said while Brad’s career took off, after appearing in the flick alongside Geena Davis (L) and Susan Sarandon (R) he was stuck ‘still doing back TV’

Meanwhile Pitt has said he was ‘really grateful’ to director Ridley Scott and actress Geena Davis for ‘[giving him] a shot’ and choosing him for the role 

It would take another three years before Clooney landed his big braek as Dr Doug Ross in medical drama ER (pictured)

Though he is thankful for his breakthrough role, Pitt admitted that he cannot help but cringe at the ‘high voice’ he put on for the character.

‘I’m more aware of how high my voice is in it. My a** must have been clenched so tight, being the first one,’ joked the two-time Academy Award winner.

Pitt also believes producers of the 1991 film ‘were desperate’ to cast the part due to its production schedule.

‘I think they were desperate, to tell you the truth. They were already shooting because a week later I was on set, working.’ 

At his final audition for Thelma & Louise, he was going head-to-head with ‘five other actors,’ one of which was Clooney.  

According to Brad, it was his co-star Davis that plucked him out from the bunch.   

‘The blond one . . . hello!’ she gushed at the time.

Close Bond 

The duo have a close bond with Clooney recently telling GQ how the two ‘check in on each’ other every now and again, which is an ‘important’ part of friendship seeing how life can get ‘complicated at times’. 

Meanwhile Pitt shared that pal is the ‘best at understanding’, adding that he calls him on ‘numerous occasions’ when things get ‘bumpy’. 

Going on to say they have ‘been through so much life at this point and so many twists and curves and turns. I know he’s got my back. I got his back.’

The duo have a close bond with Clooney saying ow the two ‘check in on each’ other every now and again, which is an ‘important’ part of friendship seeing how life can get ‘complicated’

Meanwhile Pitt shared that pal is the ‘best at understanding’, adding that he calls him on ‘numerous occasions’ when things get ‘bumpy’ (pictured with Julia Roberts in Ocean’s 11)

Going on to say they have ‘been through so much life at this point and so many twists and curves and turns. I know he’s got my back. I got his back’

Healthy competition 

The pair have appeared in seven films together over the years and admit they love the ‘competitive nature’ of their friendship on and off screen.

With Pitt telling GQ: ‘f I didn’t have a George Clooney in my life, I don’t know that I would’ve reached certain levels. Because it inspires you to push on.’

While George added: ‘I want to beat you at any job. But if I don’t get it, I would like you to get it.’

Friendship ‘cooling off’   

After Pitt failed to show up to George lavish Venetian wedding to Amal Alamuddin in 2014 – despite being relatively close by in Malta – rumours flew that the pair’s bromance was no more. 

Pitt had even been tipped to be his long-time co-star’s best man, making the no-show even more questionable. 

It was also rumoured that Brad’s then-wife, actress Angelina Jolie, disliked Amal and felt that the human rights lawyer was her ‘rival’.

Although these reports were never confirmed, there certainly seemed to be a distance between the two women and the public-facing friendship between Brad and George has faded from view over the last 10 years.

Now that ‘Brangelina’ are famously in the midst of a bitter divorce, it appears that George and Brad have been able to reignite their friendship once more.

Brad even staged the GQ photoshoot with George at Château Miraval in Correns – the French winery at the centre of his three-year long legal battle with Angelina – perhaps in a subtle dig at his ex-wife.

Pitt and Jolie, 49, have been embroiled in a dispute over their co-ownership of the idyllic French winery, which they purchased while happily married in 2008, with the actor suing his ex-wife for selling her half to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler without his consent for $62 million in October 2021.

After Pitt failed to show up to George lavish Venetian wedding to Amal Alamuddin in 2014 – despite being relatively close by in Malta (pictured 2023)

Pitt had even been tipped to be his long-time co-star’s best man, making the no-show even more questionable (pictured 2004)

Now that ‘Brangelina’ are famously in the midst of a bitter divorce, it appears that George and Brad have been able to reignite their friendship once more (pictured with George in 2009) 

But in the end Rande Gerber – who is married to Cindy Crawford and co-founded Tequila brand Casamigos with the actor – was Clooney’s best man at the lavish wedding in Venice  

Ahead of the wedding, the star’s aunt Starla Clooney told she thought Brad would be the likely choice for the best man – and that George was likely to pick one of his acting friends rather than a family member. 

She said: ‘I would say he’d choose Brad Pitt for his best man. They are good friends, I would think that’s who he’d choose.’ 

But in the end Rande Gerber – who is married to Cindy Crawford and co-founded Tequila brand Casamigos with the actor – was Clooney’s best man at the lavish wedding in Venice. 

Fans were shocked at the perceived wedding snub – and even more so when it emerged that Brad hadn’t attended the nuptials of his alleged best friend at all. 

It was later revealed that Brad had been too busy filming The Sea with then-wife Angelina Jolie and the shooting date had clashed with the wedding – despite being relatively close by in Malta. 

Speaking to Access Hollywood afterwards, Brad seemed to take a relaxed attitude to missing his best friend’s big day, explaining that he still needed to buy him a gift: ‘We were filming in Malta. [Did I send a gift?] I still owe him something.’

Angelina and Amal seemed like obvious friends with a shared interest in human rights 

But sourcessaid that there was an intense ‘rivalry’ between the two, despite the closeness of their husbands 

Brad even staged the GQ photoshoot with George at Château Miraval in Correns – the French winery at the centre of his three-year long legal battle with Angelina – perhaps in a subtle dig at his ex-wife 

Many believed that the real reason was reported tension between Brad’s long-term partner Angelina and George’s new bride.

Angelina and Amal seemed like obvious friends with a shared interest in human rights.

But sources also told The Sun that there was an intense ‘rivalry’ between the two, despite the closeness of their husbands. 

Angelina reportedly did not like Amal, with friends telling PageSix in 2018 that Angelina was ‘insanely jealous’ of Amal ‘because she believed Amal has stolen her identity’ as world’s most glamorous humanitarian. 

A source told the website: ‘Angelina hates all the attention that Amal is getting — she’s beautiful, she’s smart, she’s stylish, she has a beautiful family and she’s doing important human rights work.